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Five ways to catch up for Oscar night

An award-winning plan to catch up on Oscar flicks

The Academy Awards on March 2 are looming, especially for those procrastinators who haven't gotten around to watching all of the nominated movies and performances.
Don't freak out. You can still fill out your Oscar pool at work with confidence if you cherry-pick your viewing options. USA TODAY's Brian Truitt offers these shortcuts to the must-see highlights, most of which you can follow at home before next Sunday.

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Francois Duhamel, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Catch up on Oscar flicks

The best of pictures

Nine movies are up for the top Oscar prize, but you can probably get by if you watch two of the favorites: the period drama 12 Years a Slave (on video-on-demand) and the sci-fi thriller Gravity (on VOD now, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday).

Both are visceral experiences. Director Steve McQueen's 12 Years makes the audience feel every bit of the abuse and emotions that slaves Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) endure. And in Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) are put through outer-space hell when their station is wrecked.

Anne Marie Fox, Focus Features

Catch up on Oscar flicks

Premiere performances

You want really top-notch acting? Your must-sees are Dallas Buyers Club (on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD) and American Hustle (you'll have to make one trip to the theater for that one, given its March 14 VOD and March 18 DVD release dates).

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto both have a great chance of sweeping awards season with their Dallas Buyers Club roles - McConaughey as real-life 1980s AIDS patient Ron Woodruff and Leto as his transgender HIV-positive business partner. And Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence are contenders for American Hustle, director David O. Russell's gonzo take on cops, con men and the 1970s Abscam case, co-starring Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper.

These films are also where you'll find the best hair, from Leto's flowing wig to McConaughey and Bale's bushy mustaches and Cooper's impressive tight perm.

Sean Cliver, Paramount Pictures

Catch up on Oscar flicks

Knockout looks

Besides Dallas Buyers Club, there are just two other nominees for best makeup and hairstyling. Chances are you didn't see Johnny Depp with a Native American facial and crow-bedecked headwear - no one did, really - so there's The Lone Ranger (out on Blu-ray and DVD) for that. And supreme prankster Johnny Knoxville makes you laugh as he dons the look of a crotchety 86-year-old in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (out on Blu-ray and DVD).

Catch up on Oscar flicks

The sound of music

If you don't have Let It Go from Frozen (on VOD Tuesday) humming in your head, congratulations. Most everyone else, especially parents, has been earwormed by the tune from Disney's animated box-office powerhouse. It's worth a view, though, with the movie being a favorite in the categories for best animated feature and original song.

Industrial Light & Magic, Paramount Pictures

Catch up on Oscar flicks

Effectual extravaganzas

The geek contingent usually doesn't get much love at the Oscars except for the visual-effects honorees, but there's a good bit of eye candy in this year's slate. Gravity's already on your list, so you'll see that gorgeous above-orbit tracking shot that movie nerds all loved. In addition, everything looks cool, from Klingons to Khan, in the final frontier of Star Trek Into Darkness (out on Blu-ray and DVD). And who doesn't love an armored Robert Downey Jr. flying through the air in Iron Man 3 (out on Blu-ray and DVD)?

There are a lot of movies to watch before the Academy Awards March 2. That's why we're here to help. You're welcome.

Adepero Oduye, left, as Eliza and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in a scene from '12 Years a Slave,' which has garnered multiple Oscar nominations.(Photo: Jaap Buitendijk Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Story Highlights

Multiple Oscar nominees are now available on VOD, Blu-ray and DVD

Interested in the music nominees? Check out 'Frozen'

Special effects your thing? Make sure to watch 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' and 'Iron Man 3'

The Academy Awards on March 2 are looming, especially for those procrastinators who haven't gotten around to watching all of the nominated movies and performances.

Don't freak out. You can still fill out your Oscar pool at work with confidence if you cherry-pick your viewing options. USA TODAY offers these shortcuts to the must-see highlights, most of which you can follow at home before Sunday.

The best of pictures

Nine movies are up for the top Oscar prize, but you can probably get by if you watch two of the favorites: the period drama 12 Years a Slave (on video-on-demand) and the sci-fi thriller Gravity (on VOD, Blu-ray and DVD).

Both are visceral experiences. Director Steve McQueen's 12 Years makes the audience feel every bit of the abuse and emotions that slaves Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) endure. And in Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) are put through outer-space hell when their station is wrecked.

Premiere performances

You want really top-notch acting? Your must-sees are Dallas Buyers Club (on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD) and American Hustle (you'll have to make one trip to the theater for that one, given its March 14 VOD and March 18 DVD release dates).

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto both have a great chance of sweeping awards season with their Dallas Buyers Club roles — McConaughey as real-life 1980s AIDS patient Ron Woodruff and Leto as his transgender HIV-positive business partner. And Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence are contenders for American Hustle,director David O. Russell's gonzo take on cops, con men and the 1970s Abscam case, co-starring Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper.

These films are also where you'll find the best hair, from Leto's flowing wig to McConaughey and Bale's bushy mustaches and Cooper's impressive tight perm.

Knockout looks

Besides Dallas Buyers Club, there are just two other nominees for best makeup and hairstyling. Chances are you didn't see Johnny Depp with a Native American facial and crow-bedecked headwear — no one did, really — so there's The Lone Ranger (out on Blu-ray and DVD) for that. And supreme prankster Johnny Knoxville makes you laugh as he dons the look of a crotchety 86-year-old in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (out on Blu-ray and DVD).

The sound of music

If you don't have Let It Go from Frozen (on VOD) humming in your head, congratulations. Most everyone else, especially parents, has been earwormed by the tune from Disney's animated box-office powerhouse. It's worth a view, though, with the movie being a favorite in the categories for best animated feature and original song.

Effectual extravaganzas

The geek contingent usually doesn't get much love at the Oscars except for the visual-effects honorees, but there's a good bit of eye candy in this year's slate. Gravity's already on your list, so you'll see that gorgeous above-orbit tracking shot that movie nerds all loved. In addition, everything looks cool, from Klingons to Khan, in the final frontier of Star Trek Into Darkness (out on Blu-ray and DVD). And who doesn't love an armored Robert Downey Jr. flying through the air in Iron Man 3 (out on Blu-ray and DVD)?